Man behind the mask leads UTSA into NCAAs

Catcher John Bormann, a sophomore walk-on from Navarro High School, hit .470 in last weekend's WAC tournament. He's a big reason UTSA is in its first NCAA tournament in eight years.

Catcher John Bormann, a sophomore walk-on from Navarro High School,...

Just as an Iowa cornfield once served as a backdrop for one of the most popular baseball movies of all time, a rural setting outside of Seguin has produced what UTSA coach Jason Marshall has always coveted:

The catcher of his dreams.

His name is John Bormann, a sophomore walk-on from Navarro High School.

“We've been hungry to find someone to solidify that position,” Marshall said. “Sometimes you find diamonds in the strangest places.”

A former football and baseball star at Navarro, Bormann has shined as brightly as any of UTSA's gems lately.

The kid who not long ago romped through cornfields in Geronimo led the team in batting (.470) during the recent Western Athletic Conference tournament.

He even stole home on the back end of a delayed double steal in the title-game victory over Dallas Baptist.

But what really stirred the Roadrunners' four-game sweep in Grand Prairie was Bormann's signature defense.

In the second and third games of the tournament, he threw out runners trying to steal.

Both times, the UTSA offense came alive and scored in its next turn at-bat.

Plus, in an ironman show of durability, he has caught every inning of every game UTSA has played — 5142/3 innings in all.

Bormann credited his teammates and coaches for his improvement.

With UTSA having qualified for the national tournament, he also admitted to some good fortune.

“It really hasn't hit me yet,” Bormann said. “Personally, this is a dream come true. I come from playing in a cornfield out in Geronimo, Texas, to getting a walk-on spot and now getting to play with these guys every day.